No matter how tough life might be, don't complain

The Shanghai Daily reported today that a poor migrant worker and his family have been living in an abandoned toilet  for six years.

In that time frame, Zeng Lingjun, now 33, created a home for himself in the restroom, furnished it with simple furniture, got married, and had a baby, who is now 14 months old.

In the space of less than 20 square meters (approx 200 sq ft), Zeng placed planks over the squat toilet and used the planks as a bed, which faced a small television set placed on a table between two urinals. He also hung a clock on the porcelain wall.

On the opposite wall, Zeng has pasted a red paper cut-out of the Chinese character "xi," or happiness - a Chinese tradition to court good luck. "I am satisfied with what I have now," said Zeng, who came to Shenyang 13 years ago with only 50 yuan (US$8) in his pocket. "Life actually is better here than where I used to rough it out."

Zeng has rented the toilet from a hostel near the long-distance bus station for 8,000 yuan ($1300 US) a year since 2006. He was also given, for free (imagine that), a space in front of the hostel where he sits on a stool and polishes shoes for 10 yuan a pair. Zeng earns about 2,000 yuan a month ($300 US) from the job, nearly double the minimum wage set by the Shenyang government.

Zeng told the newspaper that he is so content with life that he named his child "Deyi" - which means satisfying one's desire. But living in a toilet is not always as "comfy" as he describes.

Though the restroom has long been deserted, Zeng said he has to flush the toilet frequently to "wash away" the stinky odors that creep down through the pipes from the functional toilet above his home. And long-term exposure to the humid atmosphere has left his child with eczema.

Zeng said he wants to find a better paying job and move his family into a proper home. But earning extra money is not easy, as he still has to wire money home to his aging parents in the countryside and the family will soon have to spend money on the child's education.

So the next time you are complaining about life in general think about China's millions upon millions of rural migrant workers in cities and towns. Many live in undesirable conditions, have limited access to health care, education, and social security resources.

Maybe things are changing

Just back from Cambodia where corruption is a fact of every day life and this article in the Shanghai Daily caught my eye. It's a small story but I think represents something that will hopefully change soon. It concerns a physically fit candidate who scored extremely high marks in a civil service exam and was subsequently denied the job because he failed a physical. Why you might ask would a physically fit student fail a basic medical check up? The answer in China is easy.

Three government officials and two doctors have been charged with bribery and abuse of power. It is claimed they prevented the top scoring student from getting the job by claiming he was anemic. And why would they do that? It was done because an important government official wanted his daughter to get the job which she did.

So the bad news is corruption at all levels here is still quite prevalent. The good news is these people plus three more involved in the charade are being tried and will hopefully be convicted.



Strong Medicine But Maybe Not A Bad Idea

Far be it from me to support Capital punishment but there is an appeal here for a crime that in the past has killed or injured far too many innocent people.

A few weeks ago two motorcycle drag racers here in Shanghai were detained and charged with dangerous driving under new guidelines that for the first time can lead to the death penalty, the Shanghai Daily News reported. Previously, racers faced a penalty of less than 15 days if they caused no harm.

The two were tracked on surveillance cameras speeding through red lights from Pudong to Puxi on busy and crowded streets. Patrolling officers tried to stop the two but they eluded capture.

The two racers were later identified from surveillance camera footage (big brother has powerful eyes). One of their bikes was unlicensed and the other had stolen plates.They confessed to their crime and the case has now been handed over to the prosecutors.

City police have warned locals not to drag race in the streets, saying they will intensify crackdowns on dangerous driving. "Street racing seriously disturbs the traffic," police said. Now that's an understatement if I've ever heard one.

Not sure how long it will take for this case to actually be decided - can't imagine they will be sentenced to death but I'm sure this new law has given street racers something to think about.

Today is Lei Feng day

Today is Lei Feng day and to celebrate about 1000 Chinese students dressed in 1960s Chinese army uniforms staged an art performance at Shanghai's bustling metro stations this morning to call on the public to follow the example of Lei Feng, the nation's most famous Good Samaritan.

What confuses me is on the one hand, Lei Feng was a soldier of the People's Liberation Army who died at age 22. After his death, Lei was characterised as a selfless and modest person who was devoted to the Communist Party and Chairman Mao. In 1963, he became the subject of a nationwide posthumous propaganda campaign portrayed as a model citizen. People were encouraged to emulate his selflessness, modesty, and devotion to Mao though today scholars believe the depictions of Lei Feng's life was almost certainly a propaganda ploy of the Communist Party.

On the other hand, the law has spoken and yesterday a pizza restaurant that gave its location as "the French Concession" has been fined 47,500 yuan (US$7,541) for violating China's advertising laws. The recently opened branch of Pizza Marzano used the name of the former colonial concession as their address in advertising leaflets. In a statement, the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau  said the restaurant had evoked the bitter history of Shanghai under colonial control which humiliated the public and went against mainstream values.

So what really is more important here - promoting a soldier who died along with thirty or forty million others during The Great Leap Forward or punishing a company for evoking the bitter history of Shanghai under colonial rule?

You decide. 

Child Beggars To Be Shipped Out

The above headline comes verbatim from today's Shanghai Daily newspaper. The copy is below and I promise no more depressing posts for a while - next week I'll look on the bright side of life in China - and for those of you wondering why all the posts - Theresa has been travelling all week so I am starting to talk to the walls.

The copy (as it was published today):
All straying minors and child beggars in Shanghai are expected to be sent back to their hometowns by the end of this year, authorities said yesterday. Similar campaigns taken by the city in recent years have met with limited success because the minors often would simply return to the city soon after being pushed out. Officials said it may be different this time, because this year's campaign is a nationwide action. The minors' hometowns will be responsible for not letting them stray into the metropolises again. "We will contact local governments to register their information," said Zhou Zheng, director of the Shanghai Aiding Center.  Several local departments, including police, urban management and civil affairs officials, will patrol the streets, Metro stations, busy business areas and transport hubs to find the children.

I can't really say much more - the article speaks for itself.

Let`s Hear it for Macho Men & Cute Girls

A high school in Central China's Henan province recently set a code of behavior for students to become "macho boys" and "cute and clever girls".

Zhengzhou No 18 High School, which specializes in art education, granted the titles "macho boys" and "cute and clever girls" to 44 students (22 boys and 22 girls) at the beginning of the new semester, so other students would emulate their behavior.  Duan Yaping, 44, the school principal, said some students used to think that misbehavior like smoking would make them look cool, so the school has chosen role models for them, according to a report of Zhengzhou-based Henan Business News.

Twenty-eight behavioral characteristics are needed to become a "macho boy" including having neatly groomed short hair, not dressing strangely, respecting girls and admiring heroes according to a notice on the school website. The characteristics of "cute and clever girls" include no roughhousing with boys (we know what that means) and having self-respect and decency.  In its working plan for this semester, the school said that it will teach students to form good habits, such as "writing well, walking well and speaking well", as part of its social etiquette education.

A teacher from the school who asked to remain anonymous told China Daily that the art students are not so compliant as other students so the school had to form a code of conduct to keep them from being rebellious.

I reviewed the "macho boy"checklist and I just made it under the wire with a little cheating. Theresa on the other hand was a shoo in as a "cute & clever girl".

The More Things Change, The More They Are The Same

Two things in the paper today caught my eye - one is kind of amusing, the other quite the opposite.  First off it seems a new British pizza parlour chain opening in Shanghai has got themselves into hot water with the populace because they advertised their new location as being "in the French Concession". This use of the phrase "French Concession" has outraged local Chinese residents and law enforcement officers of the Municipal Market Watchdog (sounds like the language police in Quebec) have started an investigation.

 Talk about nationalism - the French Concession is a beautiful vibrant district in Shanghai that has existed since 1849 (albeit no longer a French territory since 1943). To take offense at the name seems petty to me, especially given the beautiful streets, trees and architecture that the French left behind. What I think is sad but it's business, the chain humbly apologized saying they were foreigners unfamiliar with Chinese culture and were truly sorry for offending anyone - talk about eating humble pizza pie.

The other story that caught my eye is about a jerk who ran a website spreading rumors of a SARS infection in Baoding, Hebei province. The courts found him guilty and he was ordered to spend two years in a labor education institution. According to local police, the person, surnamed Liu, spread rumors about SARS to boost his website's clicks.

The guy gets an "A" for creativity and an "F" for being an idiot but the use of the phrase "Labor Education Institution" ran a chill up my spin. It just rings too close to what was happening here during the Cultural Revolution. Frankly I'd be much more comfortable if they had just said they "threw the guy in jail".

The idea that McDonlads, KFC and Louis Vuitton can be found in a country that also has Labor Education Institutions makes you wonder..........

Women Flushed With Success

 Dissent is alive and well in China

Today the China Daily News reported that Wang Lailin, 20, a university student from Zhengzhou, in Central China's Henan province, felt her first flush of success after she used the men's toilet in Beijing.

"Women were waiting outside and some were using the men's toilet. So I followed them. It was quicker and I saved time as I had a train to catch," she said.

Wang is one of those who has benefited from the "Occupy Men's Toilet" group, which wants more public conveniences for women. Female students in Beijing on Sunday occupied cubicles in the men's toilet near Deshengmen. Their purpose was to make sure that women who were waiting outside could use the facilities first. Volunteers outside the toilet held banners demanding "More conveniences for women, more gender equality", and "If you love her, don't let her wait in line".

The first occupation on Feb 19 at a public toilet in Guangzhou, set off a fierce public debate. The occupation the women said is on a temporary basis out of understanding for men's needs. "We only occupy the men's restroom for 3 minutes, holding it for women who are in a hurry to go to the toilet. A new round of 'occupation' follows 10 minutes later.

An elderly man in his 70s, who declined to be named, was angry at the occupation. "How could you do this? Men's toilets are built for men, not for women. What if a man wants to go to the toilet? It's over the top," he said.  And then there is this comment from an urban planner "The number of women's cubicles should be increased in some places, such as shopping malls, because women go shopping more often than men". Hmmmm, might have to call this one a somewhat sexist observation.

My advice to all women visiting China, not that I have had any personal experience but I'd take a pass on using any public washroom, mens or womens.

I can't bear it anymore

Sorry for the puns in the last few posts but I couldn't resist this.

Faced with resistance from animal activists and the general public, a Chinese pharmaceutical company about to issue an IPO to raise funds for expansion allowed more than 100 reporters to visit a farm where it breeds bears for their bile. You got it right - their bile. Seems for nearly 3,000 years, bear bile has been used as an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) to cure eye and liver ailments which some TCM experts claim is of "irreplaceable" medical value.

At the bear farm of Guizhentang Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, based in the eastern province of Fujian, a Xinhua reporter saw about 60 bears roaming outdoors. A farm worker said more than 600 bears were kept in the farm, with some in the open and others in concrete bungalows covered with wire netting.

The reporter was also allowed to witness the bile extraction process. A bear was placed in a small cage about the size of the bear and then a practitioner disinfected the permanent shunt in the bear's abdomen. He then inserted an 8-centimeter-long fine tube into the shunt and extracted about 100 milliliters of bile. Finally, he removed the tube and disinfected the shunt again. The whole process lasted about 30 seconds, during which the bear was consuming liquid food and remained quiet. The reporter noticed that there were more than 100 cages used to conduct this procedure.

Far be it from me to question the value of TCM, in fact its popularity is growing in the western world an an alternate medicine but somehow farming bears for this purpose sounds barbaric - The Animal Free Asia Foundation (to be fair they do have their own agenda) has stated of 165 bears they examined 36 had gallstones as large as 7 cm. I don't think you want to try and understand how painful that might be! Of those 165 bears, 99% had cholecystitis and 66% had gallbladder polyps. Not a pretty picture.

It looks as though the IPO will be approved and the company will expand their operations so just remember this post the next time you take a hit of some TCM - it just might contain some bear bile.

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Wok softly and carry a big cleaver

Theresa and I participated in a Chinese cooking class this weekend that was not only fun but quite educational. Three caucasians and three chinese plus a Chinese chef and interpreter made up the class which started with each of us chopping off the head of a live fish (I think they called it a snakehead fish though it didn't look like a snake).

The menu for the day was watercress fish stew and Cantonese stuffed eggplant. The class was 2.5 hours and we got to eat our cooking at the end of the class. Needless to say the fish stew was a washout - no taste but smelly and filled with fish bones that could choke a horse - interestingly, our Chinese class mates had no problems with the soup or the bones - they ate their soup bowls dry.

The other dish we made, Cantonese stuffed eggplant was real yummy - pork & shrimp mushed up between two slices of eggplant all fast fried in a wok with garlic, ginger, red pepper, coriander, chili sauce and rice wine.

The class was educational as well. we learned how to wield a cleaver (though Theresa did cut her thumb) and how to correctly use a wok - did you know you are supposed to heat a wok with no oil in it till it smokes, then swirl some oil around the entire wok, then discard that oil and add more oil again before you throw in the food to be cooked. We bought a seasoned wok at the school plus a cleaver so now we are ready to take on any Chinese recipe - next class (we are on a waiting list though - this place is popular) is farmer's pork stir fry and deep fried stuffed crab claws - hmmm am getting hungry already.